1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ladders. More particularly, the present invention relates to ladders suitable for use on vehicles having a trailer, flatbed, tailgate, or the like, and/or as a general purpose free-standing ladder.
2. Related Art
Pickup tailgate-type vehicles, for example, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUV), and station wagons, in today's world have become a vehicle of choice for a variety of reasons that were not as apparent in the past. A vehicle with a tailgate was once considered a “work” type vehicle used in construction, farming, and industry.
Now there are extended cabs, four-door models with luxurious interiors and many features that were previously only found in fine automobiles. Today's SUVs, vans, station wagons, and pick-up trucks are broadly used for tailgate parties, at car races, ballgames, outdoor concerts, beach parties, and many other outdoor activities in addition to their traditional work-related uses.
Unfortunately, accessing a tailgate or flatbed of a vehicle can be quite an obstacle for many people. A major challenge is accessing the bed of the vehicle. It can be very difficult to reach over the side rails of the bed of a vehicle in order to retrieve an object, or to climb into the truck bed without the aid of a step assembly. It can be even more difficult to exit the truck bed, whether a person is carrying something or simply trying to get down, because of the height of the tailgate from the ground.
The use of step assemblies for tailgate access is known in the art. However, conventional step assemblies have various shortcomings that make them an imperfect solution to the problem of tailgate and truck bed access.
Some tailgate step assemblies are mounted permanently to a base on the inside of the tailgate, which always encumbers the tailgate. Users of such tailgate step assemblies often have to exercise additional care not to trip over the permanently mounted assembly. Others are mounted permanently to the outside of the tailgate, which exposes the ladder to damage and theft.
Most tailgates or flatbed type vehicles have a standardized distance from the ground to the tailgate or flatbed of approximately 28 inches, 30 inches, 33 inches, 37 inches, or 49 inches. Some conventional tailgate step assemblies have only a single step, which does little to bridge the height gap from tailgate to ground. Still other tailgate step assemblies have very narrow steps, or steps with large height separations, which are difficult for the elderly or disabled to use, as well as tiring for those using the assembly for an extended period of time. For example, virtually all types of ladders and staircase type assemblies in today's marketplace have a step or rung riser height of 9.5 inches to 12 inches, while typical building staircases have riser heights of around 6 to 8 inches.
Most conventional tailgate step assemblies have no support arms. In tailgate step assemblies that do have support arms, the support arms are very short. Short support, arm are essentially useless, particularly when leaving the vehicle bed. Most support arms are not permanently attached to the step assembly, which makes them very easy to forget or misplace.
Still other tailgate step assemblies have many moving parts or are collapsible, which tends to make them less stable and prone to malfunction.
Further, no conventional tailgate step assemblies are useable as free-standing step assemblies. If the user of the tailgate step assembly also needs a ladder or step assembly, for example, at a job site, the user would have to bring an extra ladder for that purpose.
The use of step assemblies for entering and exiting personnel vehicles (e.g., military transport vehicles) is also known in the art. However, conventional step assemblies have various shortcomings that may make them an imperfect solution for leaving the bed of a people-transport type vehicle. For example, military transportation vehicles generally carry a conventional movable ladder with narrow steps, and/or large height separations, which can make them difficult to climb. In addition, the movable ladder is often lost or stripped from the personnel vehicle, leaving personnel with no access to the truck bed. This may not be practical for personnel who are often carrying extra gear and equipment when entering and leaving the vehicle.